Car-coupling



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

N. P. & R. A. GOWELL & J. F. HERRIOK.

GAR GOUPLING.

-N0. 319,8 Patented June 9, 1885.

W/T/VESSES I I //v 1/01/2932 @W M v ,5

(N0 ModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' N. P. & R. A.;COWELL & J. P. HERRIGK. GAR COUPLING.

No. 319,888. P tented June 9,1885.

' WITNESSES NITED, STATES PATENT QFFICIEZO NEWELL 1 COWELL, RENSSELAER A. COWELL, AND JOHN F. HER-RICK, OF

CLEVELAND, OHIO.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 319,883, dated June 9, 1885. Application filed March 14, 1 885. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, NEWELL P. COWELL, RENSSELAER A. GowELL, and JOHN F. HER- RICK, all of Cleveland, in the county of Guyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car- Oouplings; and we do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same. e r 7 Our invention relates to improvements in car-couplings, and especially to the class of hook-couplers with pivoted draw-bar heads, the object being to provide the head with a pocket and pin for receiving and securing the ordinary link, and a broad flat surface for a buffer, and means for securing the head in a position that presents the buffer'and pocket fairly to the opposing couplerthat is, with the buffer approximately at right angles to the line of the draw-barby means of which, with the head secured in such position, the device acts substantially as an ordinary=link car-coupler. A further object is to provide a sliding bar operating in an inclined chamber in .the pivoted head,and so arranged that when the couplingpin is elevated the bar will slide by gravity toward and under the point of the coupling-pin and hold the latter elevated, and the bar will be forced back'by the link when the latter enters the link-pocket, and thereby release the coupling-pin,that will then descend by gravity and couple the link.

With these objects in view our invention .consists in certain features of construction and in combination of parts hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

This invention is designed as an improvement on a device for which Letters Patent of the United States, No. 27 8,403, dated May 29, 1883, were granted to Newell P. Gowell.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are plan views in section of our improved coupler, the former showing the head in position for a link-coupler, and the latter showing the head in position for a hook-coupler. Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of the pivoted head, showing the link-pin elevated and the sliding bar engaging the link-pin. Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of the forward portion of the draw-bar. Fig. 5 isa view in perspective of the pivoted head detached from the draw-bar. Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of the key 0 detached from the draw-bar. Fig. 7 is a view in perspective of the sliding-bar in position engaging the link-pin. A represents the draw-bar, B the head, and G the key that locks the head in its closed position. The front end of the draw-bar is provided with jaws a, that embrace a portion of the head and fit into the depressions thereof, b, and the draw-bar and head are secured together by the pivotal pin D. At the rear portion of the jaws is the recess A in which the key O operates. The draw -bar is provided with a ledge, 01, and the key with the ledge c, and between these ledges and abutting against each operates the spring G, that holds the key in position in its seat. The key also has a flange, a, that, when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2, engages the shoulder b and holds the head from turning or uncoupling. By withdrawing the key, by means of the attached chain, to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the flange cis disengaged from the shoulder b, so that the head is'free to open or uncouple, and turns out tothe position shown in Fig. 1. Meantime the key, if left free, is returned to its former position by the recoil of thespring G. The key has a recess, 0 the shoulders at the ends of which,abutting against the 'pin d,that passes vertically through the draw-bar, limit the end motion of the key, andthesaid pin engaging the back wall of the recess holds the key in place in that direction. When the head B is turned from the position shown in Fig. l to that shown in Fig. 2, the key 0 is snubbed back and automatically locks the head, all of which is fully described in the former patent aforesaid. The headis provided with the recess or pocket F, to receive a link, L, and preferably of such depth that something more than half the length of an ordinary link can enter the pocket, and with vertical openings f for the coupling-pin f, and has a flat surface, f, around the pocket F, forming a buffer, all of which are similar to the pocket, pin, and bufferon an ordinary draw-head used with links; and when the head is to be used for a link-coupler it is desirable to secure it in the position shown the head is rigidly held in this position. When the pin I is withdrawn, the head is freeto operate, as before, as a hook-coupler. The head B assumes the position shown in Fig. 1 every time it is drawn out-that is, every time it is opened or uncoupled from another hook-and it requires only the placing in'position of the pin I to convert the head into substantially an ordinary'link'coupler. The pin I is secured to the car by a chain. so that it is always at hand when itis desired to use the head for a link-coupler. With the head secured in the position shown in Fig. 1, and by reason of the pocket and link-pin and the flat broad surface around the pocket forming a buffer, and with both the pocket and butter fairly presented to the opposing coupler, the device is equally convenient, and operates substantially as an ordinary link-coupler. l

M is an inclined'chamber in the head.B,and

ber extends from the depression b on top of the head into the link-pocket, and. slopes up.- ward and outward on an angle of, perhaps, forty-five degrees (more or less) from a horizontal line. The outer end of the chamber will be closed by the upper jaw, a, when the parts are assembled. ,In the chamber M operates the sliding bar I, that has an easy fit in the chamber, the inclination of the latter being such that the bar, when left free, will slide endwise by gravity toward the link-pin. The movement of the bar is limited outwardly by the said jaw andinwardly by the shoulder p on the bar, that engages a corresponding shoulder on the lower wall of the chamher, as shown in Fig. 35, or any suitable stop. When the coupling -pin is raised and the link is withdrawn from the link-pocket, the bar will slideforward until the point of the bar extends far enough under the end of the link-pin to hold the latter elevated. (See i Fig. 3.) When the link enters the linktopush back thebar and releaseithe coup- 1 ling-pin, it will be advanced far enough to receive the couplin'gpin, and be-secured or I a coupled thereby. When the coupling-pin is V elevated to uncouplet hecars, if it is held a moment, until the link is withdrawn, the bar will secure the pin,as aforesaid, so that no further attention need be given to it, and the nextlink that enters the link-pocket will be coupled automatically; also, at any time when the link-coupler is not in use the coupling-pin may be inserted and left in position for coupling. I

It is found in practice that when two opposing hook-couplers with pivoted heads are each in position opened, and are brought to- .gether for coupling, if the engaging faces of the heads are smooth sometimes but one of the heads will close, and in such a case the heads would not be securely locked, 4 but would draw apart when any considerable strain was brought to bear upon them. To remedy this difficulty and insure the closing of both heads, we have provided depressions S on the engag-v ing edges of the head. Now, when two oppos ing heads are brought together, if they have atendency to slip the one upon the other the somewhat abrupt curves at s are brought to-v gether, and by meansof the projecting parts sf both heads are forced to a position closed before the heads can; pass and book by each other. What we claim is l v 1. In an automatic car-coupler, theconibi nation of a pivoted head provided with an elongated pocket, abroad fiat surface forming a bufl'er around the pocket, and separate and independent devices for locking the pivoted head in its two positions, substantially as set forth- 2. In, an automatic hook car-coupler with a pivoted draw-bar head provided with suit- IOO able link-coupling mechanism and amovable v1:

key for locking the head to form a hook, a

pin inserted in the draw-baiyand an engaging groove in the head. for locking the head in position to present the link-coupling face toward an1 opposing draw-head, substantially as set 1 forth.

3., In an automatic hook car-co.up1er, the co mbination,'with a pivotedhead provided with a link -pocket and bufi'er-'face,and separate and independent. devices for'locking the head in two-positions, of a baroperating automatically in achaniber of the head to. engage the coupling-pin whenthe latteris elevated, andso arranged that the; linkrwill force back the bar and release the'coupling-pin, substantially as set, forth. A 4. In an automatic hook car-coupler, 'a depression or projection on that part of the head 'ithat is engaged by an opposing head, for-mutually closing both heads. in .stantially as setforth. y A 1 In testimony whereof we signthiszspecifica tion, in the presence of two witnesses, this 11th day of March, 1885.

NEWELL"P."CQWELL. RENSSEL'AER, A." CO WELL. 1 JOHN F. HERRIOK. v

' Witnesses:

' GHAs-H. DonnR,f-;:

.ALBERT E: LYNCH. a-

coupling, sub: m. 

